


Names

by Writing_Doodle



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: (in a way), Character Study, Gen, Light Angst, Magic, Memories, Names, Nobodies (Kingdom Hearts) - Freeform, Organization XIII (Kingdom Hearts), Soul Selling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 07:45:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14848601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_Doodle/pseuds/Writing_Doodle
Summary: A name was many things.





	Names

**Author's Note:**

> prompt from tumblr, again
> 
> wanted to delve a little bit into the importance of names, especially with the organization

There was power in names.

Axel would’ve thought it was magic, if it wasn’t so abstract. Magical wasn’t abstract. It was concrete. Something you can learn and dismantle and _manipulate_. 

You can’t do that with a name. Not the same way you can with magic. Still, there was power there. If he had the ability, Axel would’ve been terrified of that power. As it was, he didn’t have a strong enough memory of _fear_ to even pretend. 

-

The only naming ceremony he’s been to was his own. That’s how it goes, usually. 

A short ceremony behind a locked door with only The Superior for company. He walked in a scared kid on the verge of fading and walked out another cog in a machine he didn’t know the purpose of. 

It was seared into his brain. Before that is a void - whatever images he might recall were forgotten as soon as they were remembered. 

His earliest memories were dancing letters, an X like a brand, the feeling of being tethered, and the smile on The Superior’s face. 

He assumed the ceremony was the same for everyone else.

\- 

While he’s only been to one, he’s seen the aftermath of plenty. 

In walks a dazed, confused zombie on the verge of being overtaken by the darkness. Out walks someone with a small spark of life in their eyes. 

Out walks someone who has the potential to be a threat. 

While Axel escorts them to their rooms, he puts a file together in his head. 

_Short, stocky. Lack of height made up for in strength. Hard to knock down._ He puts a hand on their shoulder as he pushes them into the room. He feels the faint rumble of an earthquake underneath his fingers. _Earth elemental. Trouble. Teleport frequently to keep off the ground._

 _Tall, thin. Fragile, no muscle. Don’t underestimate. Possibly quick. Hard to hit._ He puts a hand on their back when it feels like they might bolt. An imaginary breeze flows through his hair. _Air elemental. Heightened defense. Flight possible. Use wind to fan flames. Tricky, but doable._

 _Average height and build. Young. Unpredictable, aggressive._ He keeps a hand on the back of their neck when they glare at him defiantly. Cold leeches into his fingers and he finds himself relaxing. _Water elemental, subset ice. No further strategizing necessary._

Most files are discarded soon after they began. 

He’s walked to many empty rooms, with only the lingering presence of darkness to tell him that they were once occupied. 

Names give a spark, but a spark doesn’t guarantee life. 

-

Axel knew exactly why he was terrified by the power of names, but he would never allow himself to admit it. 

Deep inside himself was aware of how much he was under that power. Even worse, he was aware of how little he could do about it. 

In exchange for a name, he gave up his soul. 

Maybe that was why The Superior smiled like that. Like a cat who cornered a mouse.

-

On bad days, Axel forgot he had another name, once. A long, long time ago. 

The memories got harder and harder to retrieve. 

It got harder and harder for him to remember that he used to _be_ someone. He wasn’t always Axel, The Flurry of Dancing Flames. The Assassin. The _Watchdog._

Reminders came in the form of meetings in dark hallways, long past curfew. A hand would grab his and squeeze lightly. 

“Lea.”

His own grip was like a vice. 

“Isa.”

And just like that it was over. Saix would transport back to his room and Axel would be left alone, thoughts clearer and breathing easier. 

In times like that, he thought he understood, but whatever revelation he had would always slip through his fingers. 

-

Lea still cringes when someone calls him Axel. 

He doesn’t blame them - couldn’t blame them. He’s been Axel for almost half of his life and for all the time his current friends knew him. 

It stung, though. It would probably always sting. 

Lea thought he understood, now. 

A name was a _promise._ A _contract._ A blessing and a _curse._

A name seals your fate. 

Lea was lucky he was able to get his name back. He was able to _earn_ it back. 

And may The Light have mercy on whoever was foolish enough to try and take it away again.


End file.
